The Farmer's Daughter
by Jameson Rook
Summary: "That Summer sun had me sweatin' like a dog, so I cooled off in the creek, then it was back to work in that daggum heat. I was cussin' out loud, thinkin' 'bout quittin', lookin' back now I'm sure glad I didn't, cuz just when I thought it couldn't get no hotter, I caught a glimpse of the farmer's daughter." Written for TheShadowsSilhouette.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: Castle and all of its characters belong to Andrew W. Marlowe, Terri Edda Miller and ABC Studio Productions. "The Farmers Daughter" belongs to Rodney Atkins. **_

_** So, I received a PM today, requesting that I write another long Ryan/Alexis fic. That message mixed with a well placed country song spawned the idea for this fic. This is going to be a three shot. **_

_** This fic is dedicated to **_**TheShadowsSilhouette**_** for giving me the kick in the rump that I needed to get out of the writer's block slumo that I've been in recently. **_

_** That all being said, there are several multichapters that I had been working on that you will notice have now been deleted from my profile. I deleted them myself after receiving a PM from someone stating that I should either update the multichapters or delete them. I am going to tell everyone, like I told that person, things do happen and fanfiction updates are not going to take precedent in my life. I have 3 jobs, am writing a book of my own, and watch my brother 5 days a week. It's simply not possible to update everyday, and on occasion, the muse simply is not there. I'm sorry if all of you feel the same way, I've kept the multichapters that I feel warrant continuation, but this has actually caused me to consider giving up writing fanfiction at all any more. **_

_** Wow...that turned into a rant...I'm sorry...on to the fic...**_

**Well, I heard he needed some help on the farm,**

**Somebody with a truck and two strong arms,**

**Not scared of dirt, **

**Willing to work 'til the sun goes down. **

**So, I pulled up and said **

**"I'm your man, I could start right now"**

**And we shook hands.**

**He said "the fence needs fixin', the peaches need pickin'**

**And the cows need bringin' 'round."**

**I was haulin' hay, I was feedin' the hogs,**

**And that Summer sun had me sweatin' like a dog,**

**So I cooled off in the creek,**

**Then it was back to work in that daggum heat.**

**I was cussin' out loud, thinkin' 'bout quittin',**

**Lookin' back now I'm sure glad I didn't. **

**Cuz just when I thought it couldn't get no hotter,**

**I caught a glimpse of the farmer's daughter.**

__"'Get a job working on a farm', they said. 'It'll be fun', they said. 'It builds character', they said." Kevin Ryan grumbled as he grabbed another bale of hay and tossed it onto the flatbed truck in front of him. His back creaked as he straightened up, looking across the open plains of the field. It still shocked him how far he could see across the Montana plains. The baked mud of the fields was cracked and dry under the blistering August sun.

The work was backbreaking, and it sure as hell wasn't nearly as cushy as his job as manager of a department store back in New York City had been, but it was a change. Sure, there had been a few times when he had gotten there that he had thought about giving up and quitting. Sure, he'd had experience with the work, but it was a totally different ballgame that he was playing now.

His jeans were covered in dust, much like his sweat coated torso. He pulled a bandana from his back pocket and wiped the sweat from his face roughly, wincing when it stung his eyes. He grew up on a farm in Indiana, but it was nothing like the tight ship that Rick Castle was running. The man was funny as hell, and he was one of the most sporadic people that Ryan had ever met. But that was only when there was no more work to be done.

Castle expected you to be fifteen minutes early to work, and he expected you to do your job without whining. If you had to go above and beyond the call of duty, that was just an occupational hazard and he didn't want to hear any bitching about it. On Ryan's second day, he had ended up chasing Brumbies across a corral for four hours. All of the ranch hands lived in the ranch house, free of rent, and they lived like one big family. Rick always told them that a crew that lives together will get to know each other well enough that they can run like a well oiled machine.

The gravel of the driveway crackled under Rick's truck tires as he pulled up to the farm house. Ryan squinted across the hazy field and adjusted the brim of his cowboy hat. Castle jumped out of the driver's seat and jogged over to where Ryan was.

"How you doin', Ryan?" He drawled, hooking his thumbs in his belt loops.

"Not bad, boss. Sweating like a pig, but that's to be expected." He chuckled, pulling a shrug. "How was the ride to the airport?"

"It was good, but it was the ride home that was a pain in the ass." Rick laughed, gesturing to the truck. "Alexis doesn't do well with long rides. She gets antsy."

"Really? I would take you as the kind to get cooped up." Ryan replied, a smartass grin on his face. Rick playfully shoved him before heading back to the truck and removing a suitcase from the bed. Ryan watched carefully as Alexis got out of the passenger's seat.

He had heard lots of stories about Rick's daughter from Rick and the other ranch hands, but he had yet to meet the woman in person. She had been away at college since he'd come to apply for the job but it was summer time and she was finally getting a chance to come home and relax.

Time seemed to slow to almost a stop as her long, thin legs swung out of the truck and her red, leather cowboy boots hit the gravel. Her jean clad legs led into a streamline torso and a teal tank top. Her hair was impossibly red and fell over her pale, freckled shoulders like a waterfall.

It took him a moment to realize that he was staring, slack jawed and in awe, before he quickly went back to throwing hay onto the truck, trying his damndest to not allow Rick to see his reaction.

He could feel the blush creeping up his neck, the heat apparent even in the blistering sun. He was startled by a hand on his back, and almost lost his balance when he spun around, but he steadied himself on the flatbed and saved his dignity.

The first thing he noticed when he looked at her face were the intense blue eyes. They seemed to burn through him like a flame thrower. Then there was her kind, innocent smile.

"Hi, I'm Alexis. My dad says that you're the new guy?" Good God, even her voice was angelic. He stared at her a moment, unable to find words to reply. It was only when she laughed and waved her hand in front of his face that he snapped out of it. "Hello? You are the new guy, right?"

"I...uh...yeah, I'm Kevin. Ryan." He extended his hand awkwardly in front of himself for her to shake. Her hand was warm as it slipped into his grasp, her skin silky smooth and ivory in color. "It's good to finally meet the woman behind all of the stories." She laughed again and ran her fingers through her hair after releasing his hand.

"You should probably only believe half of the stories that you hear. It's like the internet around here. Lots of attention grabbing headlines, most of which are completely untrue." Ryan barked a laugh and pulled his hat off his head, scratching his fingers through his sweat darkened locks as well before replacing the cowboy hat.

"Yeah, but at least you know that your reputation precedes you." He offered, giving her a joking smile.

"This is very true. I guess it's better to be overhyped then underhyped." Rick's voice echoed across the field as he called to Alexis. She turned to him and gestured for him to wait a minute before turning back to Ryan. "Well, I guess I'll see you at dinner, Kevin Ryan." She smiled and was off in flash of a thousand-watt smile and fiery red locks. He stared after her until she disappeared into the house before going back to the hay bales.

This was definitely going to be a problem.

The sun had begun to sink down over the horizon when he finally drug himself into the farm house. He jumped in the shower immediately to scrub the grime of the day from his sun-browned skin. He dropped his head into the pulsating spray of the shower head, the hot water pounding into his tired muscles.

His ran his hands over his face, spitting the water from his mouth, and then began to work shampoo through his hair. His thoughts wandered back to the afternoon and meeting Alexis. He was treading in dangerous water with the infatuation that he found was starting. She was his boss' daughter. That never ended well in any case that he had ever witnessed and Richard Castle was already a rather intimidating man.

Rick had a gun collection bigger than most SWAT teams, and his wife Kate was a homicide detective. He was pretty sure that they could kill him and make it look like an accident.

He shut the water off and stepped out into the steamy bathroom, wrapping a towel around his waist and moving towards his room quickly. He had almost made it to his door when Alexis came around the corner and ran directly into his chest.

They both stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, their mouths hanging open in shock. Ryan felt a blush creeping up his neck once again and he finally let his eyes drift to the ground, a mumbled apology falling from his lips.

Alexis nodded her agreement and replied with her own apology. They shifted around each other awkwardly before they finally got around each other and Ryan escaped into his bedroom. He basically slammed the door behind him and laid his bare back against the cold wood. His chest heaved erratically as he tried to calm himself.

After a few moments of imagining anything but Alexis being pressed against his chest he had calmed his hormones enough to slip into a clean pair of jeans and an onyx black button down shirt. He combed his hand through his hair quickly, just making sure that it wasn't standing up in a hundred different directions.

He stared at himself in the mirror, surveying the dark circles under his eyes and the ragged, wind-swept appearance of his skin. He looked like hell. But then there was the grin that had been settled onto his features for the better part of the afternoon. That made him look like a teenager, a kind of playful innocence on his features that he hadn't seen since Jenny had left him standing at the alter two years before.

He splashed some cologne onto his neck and took a deep breath before heading out into the kitchen for dinner. The rest of the ranch hands were already chatting amongst themselves as they sat at the long, wooden table. Rick was sitting at the head of the table, a newspaper spread out in front of him, and Kate was pouring over a casefile beside him, her brow furrowed. Their fingers were laced together between them, a gesture of affection that all of the ranch hands had come to know.

The two of them were the epitomy of true love, and it gave Ryan hope. Somewhere out there he was sure there was someone like Kate for him. As if on cue, Alexis strode in, carrying plates of food and setting them onto the table, that same smile on her face that had been there when he met her. Her shoulder brushed across his back as she passed him. The touch sent shivers through his body, but he shook it off and smiled weakly at her.

He settled into the chair next to Javier Esposito, a man that had signed onto the team on the same day that Ryan had. The two had struck up a companionable relationship from the moment they had met. Rick had paired them up as training partners and the rest had been a blur of Madden after the horses had been fed and stories about past flings in high school. The two were best friends.

"What's up with you, bro?" Javier's voice drug his gaze back into focus and he turned his head a bit too quickly, his neck tweeking. He yelped and his hand flew to the back of his neck, kneeding the muscles quickly. "You seem edgy tonight. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just...distracted, I guess. It's been a long day." He sighed, pointedly not allowing his eyes to wander back to the beauty who had happened to settle into the chair directly across from him.

"You sure it's nothing else? 'Cause if it is, you know that you can tell me, right?"

"Yeah, man. It's nothing, I'm good." Ryan nodded, plastering a fake smile to his face and trying to divert the conversation. "How was that branding today? Go well?"

The two dove into a conversation about how their respective jobs had gone through out the day. Around them, the other ranch hands had started digging into the food. They followed suit and soon the meal had been demolished. The men moved around each other with practiced precision and cleaned their dishes before clearing the rest of the food off of the table and heading to the living room.

Ryan bipassed the living room, moving down the hallway towards his bedroom. His barefeet were nearly silent on the hardwood floor as he stared straight ahead of him. He sighed and slipped into his bedroom, dropping his forehead to the door and trying to regain some semblence of sanity.

"You know, I don't think that banging your head on wooden doors is good for your mental health." He spun around to find Alexis sitting on the edge of his mouth. Suddenly his tongue was far too dry for his taste and his heart was pounding in his ears.

"A...Alexis, what are you doing in here?" He stammered, his palms sweating. He wiped them on his jeans nervously. "Your dad is probably looking for you." She stood slowly, a shark smile on her face as she came closer to him. He watched her warily, his body tensed.

He opened his mother to say something, but her finger landed on his lips and silenced him. The next thing he knew, her velvety soft lips were pressed against his and her fingers were threaded through the hair at the base of his skull.

He groaned softly into her mouth when his brain finally caught up with what was happening, and his arms tightened around her waist, pulling her closer until her breast were pressed against his chest. She gasped and he took the opportunity to nip her lower lip and slip his tongue against hers. She tightened her grip in his hair and leaned further into him.

When the need for air became unbearable, they reluctantly pulled apart. Ryan rested his forehead against hers, his hands still wrapped around her waist.

"You know, I could get in a lot of trouble for this." He whispered, nuzzling her nose with his softly. She hummed softly and ran her fingers over his chest before lacing behind his neck.

"Hmm, that's a good point. I'll protect you." She smiled and leaned in to kiss him again. Kevin smirked into the kiss and pulled her even closer. When they pulled away again, he sighed and stepped back.

"You should go back out there before your dad gets suspicious." She nodded her agreement and headed towards the door.

"You know, from what I understand, the Northern Lights are going to be amazing tomorrow night. They say that if you take a truck out to the back field you can see them perfectly. You know where I can find a wayward cowboy to wisk me away to the back field?" She smirked. Ryan chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair again.

"I've got a couple ideas. Meet me out in the barn after your dad and Kate go to sleep tomorrow night and I believe I can navigate the way to the back field for you." She giggled and pulled a dramatic curtsy.

"Sweet dreams, Mister Ryan." Ryan pulled a similar bow, a smile plastered to his face.

"Sweet dreams, Miss Castle." And with that, she disappeared out into the hallway and left Ryan to settle into his bed, visions of starlit skies and beautiful redheads dancing in his head.

_**Thoughts? Drop me a review and let me know.**_

_** Much love,**_

_** J. Rook**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: Castle and all of its characters belong to Andrew W. Marlowe, Terri Edda Miller, and ABC Sutdio Productions. "The Farmer's Daughter" belongs to Rodney Atkins.**_

_** You guys are the greatest. You really know how to turn my day around, and I am so glad that you guys are enjoying this. As always, I owe all of my success on here to you guys. Without you reading, there would be no reason to write, so I am so grateful to each and every one of you guys. I love you all (that's not weird...right?). Any way...onward!**_

**She wasjust gettin' home from Panama City,**

**She was all tanned up and my kinda pretty.**

**When her eyes met mine I was thinkin' **

**That I sure love my job. **

**As the days got shorter, our talks got longer,**

**The kisses got sweeter and the feelings got stronger.**

**So, we'd hop in the truck, and get all tangled up**

**Every chance we got.**

**We were down by the river, all night long,**

**When the sun came up, I was sneakin' her home,**

**And draggin' my butt to work**

**With the smell of her perfume on my shirt. **

**I'd be on the tractor, she'd be on my mind,**

**With the sun beatin' down on this back of mine.**

**Just when I thought it couldn't get no hotter,**

**I fell in love with the farmer's daughter. **

_Three weeks later..._

The lights of the carnival reflected off of Alexis' eyes beautifully as they walked through the midway. The carnie's voices were going a mile a minute as they tried to coerce passers by to try their luck, but Ryan was completely focused on the woman in front of him.

His arm was slung over her shoulders, holding her tightly to his side as they discussed their high school stories. The three weeks since Alexis had come home had been the greatest in his entire life.

The two of them had been insperable. Doing everything from washing dishes in the kitchen to going out to the back field and watching the Northern Lights on their backs in the bed of his truck. Castle, perceptive bastard that he was, had figured them out almost immediately. He'd caught Ryan trying to sneak back to his room after he and Alexis had gotten back in around two in the morning by the end of the first week.

Of course, Ryan had been terrified, but Castle had only given him the threatening glare for a day or two before seeming to accept the inevitable. Although, he had cornered him before dinner one night and given him a long lecture containing all of the things that he could anticipate if he were to ever hurt Alexis. He couldn't say that hurting her was on his agenda to begin with, but, if it had been, that warning would have deterred him.

"I could totally see you as a drama geek. You seem like the actor type." Alexis teased, poking him in his rib cage playfully. He gave her a halfhearted scowl, but when she gave him a pout, his face broke into a smile. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her upturned lips softly before they continued walking.

"Excuse me, sir, but you two look very happy. Would you mind sitting for a sketch?" The man that called to them from from the tiny tent was unassuming, his tiny frame hidden under an oversized suit. He had a sketch pad tucked under his left arm, and an assortment of colored pencils sticking out of his breast pocket.

Ryan looked down at Alexis, waiting for her response. She smiled up at him and nudged him forward. Ryan handed the guy a twenty dollar bill, but the man shook his head and pressed it back into Ryan's hand.

"No, no, I'm not going to charge you. You two look like you're so happy, it would be my pleasure to sketch you. Free of charge." The man smiled happily and they settled into the chairs after thanking him a couple times. Ryan pulled Alexis into his chest and smiled down at her, his eyes soft and warm. The man stared at them a moment in silent observation before he began sketching.

Twenty minutes later, they were walking back under the neon carnival lights, their sketch in Alexis' hands as she studied it. Ryan chuckled at the wrinkle in her brow, the serious concentration written across her face.

"You're going to pull a muscle thinking that hard, honey." He whispered, taking a drink of the lemonade he'd bought. He watched her nose wrinkle as she scowled at him before breaking into a grin.

"Do I really look like this?" She held up the picture in front of his face and he studied it for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, you really do."

"Oh, God. Why are you even dating me? I look horrible. I'm not even pretty." She groaned, letting the picture fall to her side. He barked out a laugh and stopped walking, turning her to look her in the eye. He brushed her hair out of her face and swept it behind her ear, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone.

"Alexis, you're right. You're not pretty." She gaped at him, tears pooling in her eyes. "You're _beautiful_." He smiled, placing a kiss to the tip of her nose. "You are the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me, and I'm dating you because there is nowhere else in the world that I would rather be. There's no one that I would rather be with then you." He sucked in a shaky breath and swallowed roughly a few times before continuing. "I love you, Alexis Castle. I know that we've only been dating for a couple of weeks, but I really, truly do love you." The silence stretched between them for long enough that Ryan had begun cursing himself mentally. He thought that maybe he had jumped the gun. Maybe he had scared her, and she was going to turn tail and run for the hills. When she leaned forward and placed her lips against his temple, however, all tension that he felt vaccated his body.

"I love you too, Kevin. Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to say that?" She whispered into the short locks of his hair, her fingers squeezing the back of his neck lightly. He pulled away, a dopey grin on his face and they walked down the midway until they reached a dart throwing game.

Thirty-five dollars and God knows how many darts later, they walked away from the game, Alexis with an oversized stuffed teddy bear in her arms, and Kevin with no feeling left in his throwing arm. She hooked her arm through Ryan's and laid her head on his shoulder.

The sky was impossibly clear, the stars shimmering against the velvet black sky. They walked until they reached his truck. Ryan opened the door and helped her in, placing the oversized teddy bear in the rear of the crew cab before slipping into the driver's seat.

As he shifted the truck into drive, Alexis scooted across the bench seat until she was pressed against his side, her heat radiating to him.

"You know, I'm pretty damned glad that I called your dad to ask him about that job." He spoke to the windshield, one hand on top of the steering wheel and the other wrapped around Alexis' waist.

"I'm glad that you did too. You know, when I came home from Europe and found you out in that field I thought that I'd won some sort of jackpot." They rode in a comfortbale silence for a few moments before Alexis began running her hands over his arm and chest. Ryan chuckled and glanced at her out the corner of his eye.

"Miss Castle, you better keep those hands to yourself. Irish people aren't exactly known for their impulse control." A shiver ran down his spine when her teeth closed around his ear.

"Who says that I want you to exercise any sort of impulse control, Mister Ryan?" She whispered. He swallowed roughly and turned his truck down the road to the quarry.

When he pulled the truck up under a large Oak tree, her hands slid under his shirt, her fingers scorching hot against his skin. He sighed deeply and shrugged out of the button down and pulled her into his lap, kissing her deeply. As his hands moved to the hem of her shirt, he felt the last threads of his self-control slipping away from him.

**xx x xx x xx x xx x xx x xx x xx x xx x xx x xx x xx x xx **

The clock on the truck's dashboard said three-fifteen by the time they had readjusted their clothing into a publically acceptable way and Ryan had torn down the road to the farm house.

He heaved a sigh of relief when he pulled up to the house and none of the lights had been turned on yet. They both scampered out of the truck and into the house, trying their best to remain silent.

Ryan walked Alexis to her bedroom, the smile never leaving his face. He leaned down and kissed her deeply, not allowing himself to get too carried away.

"I love you." She muttered, smiling against his lips.

"I love you too. Go get some sleep, I don't want you to be overtired tomorrow." He smiled, nudging her towards her bedroom.

"Aren't you going to be exhausted? You have to be in the field in half an hour." She frowned, running her fingers over his creased brow.

"Don't worry about me, babe. You're all the energy I need. But, maybe come out to the field at lunch with some coffee? Make sure that I haven't fallen asleep and buried the tractor in a tree?" He teased, winking at her to ease some of her tension.

"Okay, I'll even make you some lunch if you're lucky." She stuck her tongue out at him and began to disappear behind the door. "Good night." She smiled and slipped into her bedroom, the door closing behind her quietly.

"Good night." Ryan replied, smirking at the Oak door. He sighed and began walking towards his bedroom, running his hands through his hair roughly. He entered his room and changed his clothes quickly, brushed his teeth and washed his face before running out into the field. He had just gotten to the truck when Rick pulled up, a trace of sleep still lingering on his face.

"Morning, boss."

"Morning, Ryan. You seem awfully chipper this morning." Rick drawled, taking a long drink from the thermos in his hand.

"Got a good night's sleep. Nothing beats a good rest." He lied. Rick nodded his agreement and they both got to work on the hay. Ryan stiffled a yawn, not wanting Rick to see how tired he was.

He felt like he was going to fall over where he was standing, but it was all worth it. He was with a woman that he completely and utterly loved, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

_**Thoughts? Drop me a review and let me know.**_

_** Much love,**_

_** J. Rook**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: Castle and all of its characters belong to Andrew W. Marlowe, Terri Edda Miller, and ABC Studio Productions. **_

___One year later... _

Ryan fiddled with his bowtie nervously in front of the mirror for, what seemed like, the thousandth time. Esposito appeared behind him, rolling his eyes, and reached out to fix the bowtie himself.

"You're going to be fine, bro. You need to relax or you're going to pass out in front of all of those people out there. You don't want that, do you?" Ryan shook his head ademantly in response. "That's what I thought. You look great, Kev." He smiled, slapping him on the arm.

"Thanks, Espo. I'm glad that you're here. I don't know what I would do if I had to deal with this by myself..." He muttered. "You have the rings, right?" He panicked, his eyes wide.

"Yes, for the fifth time, I have the rings, you know your vows, and Alexis has already arrived. Everything is ready to go. All you have to do now is head to the alter, wait for your girl, and say 'I do' in the right place." Esposito moved behind him, placed his hands on Ryan's shoulders, and steered him towards the door. "Let's go get you married, bro."

**x xx x xx x x xx x xx x x xx x xx x x xx x xx x x xx x xx x x xx x xx x x xx x xx x x xx x **

The church was beautiful. Flowers adorned the sides of every pew, and a string quartet sat in the front of the congregation. He shifted uneasily from foot to foot, fidgiting with his tuxedo jacket, surveying the people in front of him. Rick's mother sat in the front row, adjusting her hair in the compact mirror she was holding. Beside her, Kate was idly chatting with Lanie, Esposito's wife, and their son Roy was fidgiting with his suit uncomfortably. Ryan grinned at the sound of him whining about wearing the tie.

He glanced over to the other side of the pews, catching sight of some of the other ranch hands, looking just as uncomfortable in the suits as he felt. They were all so accustomed to wearing jeans that the feel of a suit had them all grimacing in unison. He chuckled to himself when he caught sight of his sister fussing over her husband, straightened his suit jacket and reaching out to smooth his hair. He batted her hand away and shot Kevin a 'help me' glance. Kevin held up his hands in a 'you're on your own' gesture and turned away.

The first notes of the precession had his attention snapping to the back of the church, his heart pounding against his ribcage. He watched as all Kate, Lanie and Alexis' friend Samantha walked down the aisle, their arms tucked under his groom's mans'. Espsosito was the first to join him by the alter. They covertly high-fived. It was only after the last bride's maid and groom's man had taken their places, and the distinctive chords of the Wedding March that he began to sweat.

He turned and watched as the back doors to the sanctuary opened and Rick walked in, his arm tucked around Alexis'. For a split second, he completely forgot how to breathe. Her dress was long and flowing, the silk clinging to her frame and the intricate beading across the torso catching the light perfectly. Her fiery red hair was settled on top of her head in a beautifully done hair-do. She moved with flawless ease past all of their friend's and family, her smile more radiant then he had ever seen it.

When Rick and Alexis finally reached the alter, Rick placed Alexis' hand, and kissed her cheek. Kevin thought that his face might break from the grin when the priest finally asked 'who gives this woman to this man'?

"That would be me." Rick replied, a grin on his own face. He clapped Ryan on the shoulder and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "I swear to God, if you hurt her, they will _never_ find your body." Ryan nodded his head in agreement, ignoring the bit of fear that curled in his stomach at the statement.

The priest acknowleged Rick's statement and motioned for him to sit before beginning the ceremony. He read a few bible passages before he finally got to the vows.

"Kevin and Alexis have written their own vows. Kevin, you may read your vows first." Kevin took a deep breath and looked deeply into Alexis' eyes before he began.

"Alexis, the moment that I set eyes on you I knew that you were the woman I was going to marry. You looked so beautiful. And then, when I found out that you were even remotely interested in a dope like me, I felt like the luckiest man on Earth. Every single day, you continue to amaze me. My life has never been more interesting then it ever has been, ever since I met you. I'm so happy that you agreed to be my wife, and I look forward to spending the rest of forever with you by my side." He reached out and brushed the tear from her cheek gently, his smile still on his face.

"Kevin, you are my moon. My stars. My sky. You are everything that is good and pure in this world. I love the way that you can find the joy in any situation. It can be the darkest day, but you will always find the light. You are a man that I can see being an amazing father to my children, and a man that can protect and provide for our family. You are loving and kind. Tender and strong. You are the love of my life and I cannot believe that I found you. You are my entire world, and I'm glad that I don't have to spend another day without being married to you."

"Do you have the rings?" The priest asked Esposito quietly. Esposito dug them out of his jacket pocket and handed them to the priest. He extended the ring to Ryan. "Do you, Kevin Ryan, take Alexis Castle to be your lawfully wedded wife? For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?" Ryan slipped the ring onto Alexis' finger, kissing her knuckle softly, and nodded.

"I do."

"And do you, Alexis Castle, take Kevin Ryan to be your lawfully wedded husband? For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" Alexis slipped the ring on Kevin's finger.

"I do."

"Then by the power vested in me by the state of Montana, I now pronounce you man and wife." The priest gave them a warm smile. "You may kiss your bride."

Kevin pulled Alexis to him passionately, dipping her in his arms and kissing her deeply. The crowd around them whooped and hollered, some even letting out cat calls, but the sound was drowned out by the pounding of Kevin's heart in his ears as he kissed his _wife_. When the need for air became too great, he helped Alexis upright once again, placing one last chaste kiss to her lips before they turned and faced the smiling faces of their friends and family.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever, I give you Mister and Misses Kevin Ryan." The applause got louder as they started down the aisle. As soon as they exited the building into the warm sunshine, rice began showering down on them. Alexis' giggles filled the air as they slid into the backseat of the black stretch limo, waving out the window as they pulled away from the church.

They rode in silence for a few moments, Alexis tucked underneath Kevin's arm, her fingers running over the wedding ring on his finger softly. He placed a kiss to the top of her head, pulling her closer.

"I love you, Misses Ryan." He whispered into her silken locks.

"I love you too, Mister Ryan." She turned her lips up and kissed him softly before settling her head on his shoulder once again.

He smiled to himself as they rode through the streets toward the wedding reception, his wife held close to his chest. Not for the first time in the two years since he'd met Rick Castle, he thanked God that he had answered the help wanted ad and gone to work on that ranch. If he hadn't, he never would have met the woman he was in love with. The woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with. He never would have met the farmer's daughter.

_**Thoughts? Drop me a review and let me know.**_

_** Much love,**_

_** J. Rook**_


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